OXFIT is back this semester and it actually works

After the excess of Christmas turkey and chocolate, cutting out the over-indulgent diet and getting fit almost seems impossible . Normally, it leads to dragging yourself to a gym full of buff lads and gym bunnies, spending too much on membership . But OXFIT provides another way to get fit.

The fitness society run by Brookes students is back in force this semester. You've probably seen them in South Park running, jumping and looking way too active for your liking. Regardless, we decided to try it last semester and the results were pleasantly surprising.

I initially went to their trial session having already done some HIIT training in the past. Sadly, the past was two years ago, and I was not in any shape other than "human".

My thought process was somewhere between regretting everything, feeling smug about being healthy and that feeling you get when you're trying to pull someone more attractive than you – naïve optimism with a hint of "please don't fuck this up".

Josh Stanford, third year Brookes student and creator of OXFIT, gave a quick pep-talk, put on the music and got us started. It was fairly standard as far as the exercises go, working down the body and punishing each section equally. Somewhere around the second core set, I started to realise that it is possible to stay fit at uni.

The crowd, music, coaches and park scenery were all there to make you stop thinking about the exercise, help you go with the flow and stay motivated. You weren't an individual, sweating away conspicuously in a gym. You were part of the crowd, working together. It was easy to keep focused and keep going.

The immediate feeling was pain. Burning, overwhelming pain. But, when my vision had stopped blurring, I realised I also felt amazing. Apparently all the stuff about endorphins and feeling good when you exercise is true. I realised OXFIT might be onto something.

I had signed up for the package which included two sessions a week, and I managed to keep it up for a lot of the term. I got fitter, had more energy and looked better in a t-shirt than I had in months. In addition, the sessions were better and cheaper than me not using a gym membership.

Sure, it's only a few times a week and you could choose the cheaper option of running outdoors or workout at home, but you wouldn't enjoy it nearly as much.

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